SC HOLIDAY: Sly Cupid
by Kit-Karamak
Summary: 6th - and maybe final, I'm not sure - episode of my yearly Valentine's Day story. THE HONEYMOON... is just a click away!
1. 2007

Sly Cupid

Another Holiday Short-Story

By:

Kit-Karamak

Aka

Ken Weaver

**Carmelita Fox rested her chin upon her palms**, supported against a concrete banister by her elbows. She exhaled a deep breath, staring off into the distance. The Eiffel Tower reflected in her soft amber gaze, partially obscured by thick cobalt bangs. Her tail swished from left to right in idle fashion. Her wanton, hopeless sigh followed a second.

Behind her, a mahogany desk displayed more than a dozen holiday cards most of which were red or pink. A heart-shaped box of chocolates from Winthrop Weasel sat at the center of the pile. The last vestiges of sunlight dipped into the horizon, casting her feminine visage into shadow. '_Stupid holiday,_' she thought with a smirk of contempt. Her brows furrowed then she leaned back from the banister.

The Inspector snatched a cup of tea from the rail and she brought the porcelain to her lips. The vixen cast a glare at the mess cluttering her desk, narrowing her eyes at it. "If Saint Valentine can get a holiday, why can't Saint Jude? After all, love _is_ a lost cause, as far as I'm concerned." She finished the tea and placed the cup on a small plate. "And what the hell did I come to work for, today? Not _one_ single reported crime _all day_? If I wanted to sit around and do paperwork from morning until night, I would have done it at home."

Her thick, bushy brush flitted in annoyance, sweeping across the floor, beneath her chair. The woman's ears lay back, half-disappearing in the sea of azure curls. Her stoic brown eyes lowered to her desk and another sigh escaped her lips. Simple romance could be celebrated any day but she had a resounding lack of it in her life. Days like Valentine's Day seemed to be nothing more than a day for florists and candy makers to get rich.

Carmelita opened a desk drawer and removed a dart. The plastic fins resembled a French Flag. She drew her paw back then flung the object at her wall. … The tip of the dart found a photograph of Sly Cooper, holding mistletoe, taken from surveillance footage on Christmas Eve. It sank into the photograph, penetrating the corkboard underneath. Her eyes narrowed again, remembering what a fool she'd been that night.

"That surveillance photograph nearly cost me my job, Criminal," she snapped, baring her teeth. The room remained silent. In the picture, Sly Cooper stood opposite of Inspector Fox, kissing her through the bars. She vowed to find out who posted the picture, so she could burry her fist in their face one day.

The frosted glass of her office door dimmed; the remaining building fell quiet. Her eyes returned to the black and white photograph on her wall, frowning. "And where are _you_ tonight, Mister Cooper? Out wooing other girls? Perhaps flirting with the only true love you've ever known – you're cane, no? Maybe you're just as disinterested in this stupid holiday as I am."

A voice came from the window. "Maybe I was waiting for just the right time."

She whirled around in her chair, reaching for the shock pistol on her hip. Her eyes widened, feeling an empty holster at her side. The office chair rotated about until their gaze met; Carmelita found herself staring into the deep chocolate orbs of Sly Cooper. Perched on the windowsill, he held a dozen roses in his left paw and a bottle of French Wine in his right. His cane hung from the drainage spout, outside; her shock pistol sat on the window ledge, next to his feet.

"Did you know, in the year _fourteen hundred_, a _High Court_ of _Love_ was established, here in Paris, on Valentine's Day? Saint Valentine helped to arrange marriages for Roman Soldiers when wedlock was strictly forbidden. Quite the romantic guy, wouldn't you say?"

"He died a Christian Martyr," Carmelita replied, displaying her knowledge of history. "I guess old courtly love is dead. In 1969, the Church removed Saint Valentine's Day as an official holiday from its calendar. February 14th is now simply a day dedicated to Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius. Cooper, what are you doing in my window?" She folded her arms across her chest, leaning back in her chair with an angry grimace.

"Wow," Cooper said, sliding out of the window and onto his feet. He peered over her shoulder, noting all the gifts on her desk; all of them remained untouched. He followed her eyes to the shock pistol on the ledge then grinned at her. "I removed the batteries. They work _so_ much better in your gift."

Carmelita tilted her head to the side, causing thick ringlets of sapphire to pool over her shoulder. "My _gift_?" Her eyes flitted from the wine to the flowers. "I don't follow."

"You will." Sly walked around her desk, to the far corner of the room. A surveillance camera swiveled at a slow pace on its wall mount. Currently, it faced her bookshelf, adjacent to the office door. Sly removed one of the dozen roses with his teeth then slid the remaining bouquet under his right arm. He bit through the stem then lifted the single rose, attaching it to the lens before it could swivel around to her desk and the window.

"What are you _doing_?" she quipped, placing her paws on her hips. "I can't _believe_ you; coming into my office like this! Breaking and entering _is_ a criminal offense!"

Sly glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. He pivoted on his heel and approached her with the remaining eleven roses and wine. "You're here, on duty, Inspector. I've broken _nothing_ and there's no law that expressly forbids an entry by window."

Carmelita gawked at him for a moment then announced, "You're under arrest for stealing the Clockwerk Parts from the Museum of Cairo!"

The raccoon grinned at her. "You mean the parts that melted on the asphalt, in downtown Paris? Where's your incriminating evidence?" Sly continued his approach in the form of a relaxed swagger.

"The _Fire Stone_ of _India_!" she barked.

Cooper offered another dazzling smile, nearing her desk, lifting his roses and the wine in a gesture of offering. "It's in the New Delhi Museum, where it _belongs_. I do believe that it is part of a display concerning the history of Calcutta."

"You thieving _criminal_," she muttered, tightening her paws into fists. "What do you want, here?"

Cooper changed his tone, telling her, "You know, I never got to thank you for helping me fight Clockwerk. At least, I never got to say it directly. But there's one more thing I never got a chance to tell you and _that_ is why I'm here."

"Well, get on with it," she muttered, coming around her desk. She stopped in front of him with her paws on her hips with daggers in her eyes. "Then you can leave; I'm tired of people mocking me," she told him, nodding at the photograph on the wall with a dart in the center. "And I'm tired of _you_ mocking me with flowers on freakin' Valentine's Day. So, spit it out."

Sly glanced over at the photograph on the wall then smiled. "Now there are _two things_ to tell you. First of all, the original surveillance footage is in _my_ possession. That's why you didn't lose your job; no one could find the tape. You're the only one with a copy, Inspector. I put it there as a reminder of how cute you look with your eyes shut and your lips puckered."

Carmelita's jaw dropped. _"You_ put that there? You jerk! I thought Chief Barkley posted it to remind me how close I came to losing my job!"

"You were never in danger of losing your job," Sly replied with an air of confidence. "I never got to thank you for that kiss. I was going to come by and do it again on New Years Eve, to ring in the New Year with you but…"

Carmelita finished the statement for him. "…I had been assigned a case that night and worked on New Years Eve." To her words, Sly offered a nod and a smile. She reached for the roses and took them into her arms. "Fine; I accept your Valentine's Day flowers and wine. Say what you came to say, so you can leave. Please?" She just wanted him to go; she'd had enough of Valentine's Day and she'd had enough of the gifts. She just wanted to go home and relax in a bubble bath. Now her thoughts would be full of him and, for some reason, the knowledge of that agitated her further.

Sly gave her a pleasant, confident smile, sitting the bottle of wine on her desk. "I've simply come to spread Valentine's Day cheer. Happy Valentine's Day, Carmelita." He reached his paws up, cupping either side of her face. The raccoon leaned in until his lips brushed against her own. The kiss began with tender grace and ended with a firm press of his muzzle to her own. Finally, he released her furry cheeks, offered her a wink then said, "Enjoy your gift." He turned for the window then dove through it.

She watched him snatched the cane, hanging from the drain spout then drop from sight. Her ears flickered, hearing his parasail pop open. Once more alone, she reached her right paw up to touch her lips where he'd kissed her. Her left paw drew the roses to her chest; her heart beat with wild abandon.

After a moment, the vixen reproached the window and plucked her shock pistol from the sill. She placed it back into her hip holster and shut the window. The Inspector turned back to her chair, widening her eyes. A camcorder sat on her office chair; the power pack from her shock pistol had been attached to the backside of the digital camera.

Carmelita placed the flowers on top of Winthrop's chocolates and picked up the camera. She ejected the tape, peering at the label. It read, "_Love always, Sly_" in red marker. Inspector Fox sank into her chair, reaching for the wine with her free paw. She shifted her weight in the seat and turned on the camera.

Using her thumb, she opened a small LCD screen on the side then pressed 'play'. Her jaw went slack and her eyes widened in surprise. '_I had no idea this footage even existed,_' thought Carmelita. She gazed down at the little LCD screen in a state of complete shock. A small speaker built into the camcorder began to play the tango…

* * *

A/N: _Again, I was bored and thought to post something for fun. Don't mind me! Just like A Cooper Christmas, I scribbled it down real fast; just like last time, I didn't really proof it beyond simple spelling. I'd have added a lot more romance but I'm already doing that in Spy Cooper… Besides, I like to make these short stories more like the games… Sly disorients her with a surprise kiss then bolts in a flash. Just to amuse myself. _

_If you don't know what she's watching on the Camcorder, I'll tell you… it's footage from their dance at Rajan's Palace. Personally, I don't think this 'episode' came out quite as well as the first one. No matter, there's always more holidays in the future! XD_

_-kit_


	2. 2008

Thursday, February 14, 2008 

Sly sat up, his ear flickering listlessly at the noise on the other side of the room. He canted his neck to the left and tilted his head at Bentley. The tortoise stood in the doorway, adjusting his bowtie in a long-mirror by a coat rack. He glanced over at Cooper and grinned.

Sly slumped back down with a sigh. "I've not seen her since Christmas. She didn't even show up at our last heist. What's so good about Valentine's Day, anyhow? It's just a day when half of us hail Cupid's marksmanship, and the rest of us curse him for missing."

"It's only been two months, Sly. Why are you so pressed? Aren't you going to visit her tonight?" The turtle cut his gaze back over to the mirror and continued to fool with the fabric around his neck. "Seriously, I don't know what has you in such a funk today; you should be in her window _right now_."

"I was there an hour ago. She's not even home." Sly frowned again. "I told her, on Christmas Day, I'd be coming back to visit her… and this time she wasn't there. Add that to the fact that she didn't show up for our last heist… I think she's starting to get over me. I wonder if she got the gift I mailed to her…"

"What did you send?" Bentley finished the last tug of his bowtie then smiled triumphantly. "Picture perfect!"

"Heh…" Sly offered a faint grin. "It's just a little 'fun gift'. I, uh… I was looking at tennis bracelets at a local jewelry store just to get an idea… and decided to send her handcuffs that, uh…"

"You didn't…!" Bentley rolled his eyes with a groan. "You got her handcuffs encrusted with precious jewels? She's not going to use them on a criminal – a gift like that says, "I plan to use these on _you_." Oh, man… I bet she blushed when she got them."

Sly glanced back up at Bentley and chuckled. "I didn't think of it that way. Funny image, though. So where in the heck are _you_ going? I thought you hated Valentine's Day? You said it was a candy monopoly day that adds to Easter and Christmas for the Swedes and the Swiss."

"And for Hershey, Pennsylvania," Bentley chuckled. "Seriously, though… Valentine's Day has _nothing_ to do with Cupid. He's just a representation of love that was prayed to long before Saint Valentine lived."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me about the Paris High Court of Love, dedicated to Saint Valentine… you told me last year, so that I could tell Carmelita about it from her window. Either way, I thought it was just a day for women."

Bentley checked his watch, said, "And to answer your other question, Penelope is my date tonight. As far as Valentine's Day, it comes from a _man._ The very same one who secretly married Roman soldiers to their sweethearts when society outlawed wedlock. He was a believer in hopeless romance and being with your soul mate until death and beyond." Bentley paused and lifted his head from his shell a little higher then turned back towards Sly. "That's Murray beeping – he rented a limo and is our driver tonight. This is going to be so cool." He turned to the door and opened it.

The tortoise froze in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. "I'm sorry she wasn't home. I know you were looking forward to this evening. Did you seriously buy her one rose for _every_ time you guys crossed paths?"

"I was going to but I lost count of how many times we… No, I didn't." Sly looked down and shrugged again. "I usually don't feel sorry for myself but I really wanted tonight to be special and she wasn't even home. Maybe she's already got a date."

"Or maybe she had to _work_ tonight." Bentley offered a sheepish grin then walked out the front door and shut it behind him. The small dwelling grew quiet.

Sly picked a small heart-shaped candy out of a nearly-empty bowl and opened the wrapper. Beneath the brand name, "DOVE", a small randomized message appeared in fine print. "_A real sweetheart never forgets you._"

"Whatever," Cooper said with a grim chuckle. "I didn't forget… So, where _are_ you tonight, Miss Fox? Out wooing other criminals? Perhaps flirting with the only true love you've ever known – you're shock pistol, no? Maybe you really _are_ disinterested in this stupid holiday."

A familiar one-liner floated through the empty room to his ear. "Maybe I was waiting for just the right time."

Cooper blinked and glanced up from where he sat on the sofa, half swaddled in a comforter blanket. His eyes fell upon Inspector Carmelita Fox in the window sill. His jaw dropped ever so slightly. There he was, with his legs wrapped up in a blanket, eating from a bowl of chocolates, looking rather melancholy… He was too shocked to be embarrassed. "Wait, how did you know where I live?"

"It's only fair," she replied, sliding her feet from the sill to the floor. "Nice place," she added, tugging on the open drapes. "Definitely not what I expected from bachelors."

"I, uh," he stuttered. Sly cleared his throat and said, "When Bentley and Penelope started dating, the messes became a thing of the past. She didn't care to tolerate us leaving pizza boxes and soda cans all over the place. She made the curtains."

"Drapes," corrected the vixen. "The curtains are pushed back, beneath… and look at that," she mused, pulling the fabric into her paw. "They match – how cute." Carmelita approached the sofa, jerked the blanket from his legs and tossed it over the backrest. "I got your goofy gift – I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it was amusing all the same." She folded her arms. "So, last year you told me that that I will enjoy _this_ Valentine's Day – I'm curious. I didn't want you to get the drop on me this time, so I waited until you showed up, then I followed you back here. So much for hiding from the law. From now on, I'll know right where to find you."

"Clever girl," Cooper said, sitting up on the cushion. He handed her the wrapper from his candy so that she could read the message then he said, "I'm glad you didn't forget."

Carmelita broke into soft laughter. "Who says I'm your sweetheart? We held hands on Christmas morning, but you had to keep asking to be un-cuffed so you could run to the bathroom."

"What can I say?" he replied. "I drank so much of that eggnog I didn't know what to do with myself."

Inspector Fox simply giggled. "I remember." She paused and her face grew serious. "OH, and I heard about your little 'outing', last week. I was in Calcutta. I pulled the report on your incident – I researched it; I can only arrest you for up to two days. I doubt it would even go to court because you probably have an alibi. When are you going to learn?"

"I have learned," replied Cooper. "I haven't stolen anything since that Chocolate went through Germany. It, uh, was really good – I wish you could have tried it."

"I remember." She nodded then said, "You dressed up with the long coat and that goofy monocle. If it was charm you were trying to display, it didn't work. I sat there, thinking to myself, "_This guy is a total screwball._" It wasn't until I saw your tail beneath the back of your coat… Yes, you're right – you've been a good boy for the past year. So, what prompted you to act last week?"

"I just wanted to see you, so I pulled that little stunt, hoping you would show up."

Carmelita quirked a single brow. "You did _what_? You pulled a faux crime as bait so that I would… show up?"

Cooper shrugged and nodded. "I missed seeing you. We had such a nice Christmas that I just wanted to…"

The vixen placed her paws on her hips and gawked at him. "You're catching feelings? We just held hands for a day and _you_ are catching _feelings_? Sly Cooper, the world's most _notorious_ Master Thief, is being _emotional_? You sissy."

"I love you, too," Sly returned with a grin and a wink. "So you waltzed into my home… do you have a warrant, young lady?"

"I've got probable cause," she retorted, trying not to grin.

"Did you call for backup?"

She shook her head and told him, "I have the situation under control. I'm not outmanned or outnumbered in any way, shape or form."

"Are you going to read me my rights?"

"Who says I'm placing you under arrest tonight?" She shifted her weight then narrowed her gaze at him. "You said I would really _like_ this Valentine's Day. Aren't you going to surprise me with something, somehow? Well, it's impolite to keep a lady waiting."

"Oh!" Cooper stood up from the sofa and snapped his fingers. "Yes, so that misdemeanor charge – small arms theft of personal property, items taken from a gun store that total less than three hundred dollars… I actually paid for them."

"Which is why your maximum sentence time can't go beyond two short days and would probably be thrown out of court. I researched the case – you stole some small, inexpensive parts then paid for them the next day. All because you wanted to _see me_?"

Sly grinned and put his paws up. "Hold tight. Yes, it's because I missed you, but I got those parts so that I could make your Valentine's Day gift. They say homemade gifts are more… from the heart. So I went that route. Bentley helped. Be right back."

He hurried out of the living room. Several moments later, he returned with a gift-wrapped box and presented it to her on one knee. He held it up and bowed his head down like a medieval delivery boy.

"Cooper, I don't care for gifts; you know this. I don't know why guys try and force sappy stuff on me. If they _really_ knew me, they would know that I get excited over guns and ammo more-so than goofy confections."

"Just open it," he bade.

"Whatever, fine," she snorted disdainfully. Carmelita sat down on the edge of the couch and placed the container on the coffee table. She ripped the wrapping paper and opened the cardboard lid. Inside, a metal box with a familiar logo awaited. She recognized the trademarked symbol as the maker of her Shock Pistol. She opened the lid and her eyes widened. "You… you used those parts to…?"

Sly grinned. "Bentley and I built a better, more efficient shock pistol. He figured out a way to cause the electro-discharge to work on a static electric principle, so that it, uh…" He shifted his eyes to the ground, trying to remember all the technical jargon. "The energy discharge will cling to the natural electromagnetic field coming from the body of a target."

Soft peels of silvery laughter filled the room. Carmelita, delighted with the professional looking home-made gift, lifted the gun into her right paw.

Cooper continued, the way Bentley explained it a few days prior. "So it's like when you rub a balloon in your fur – it has static cling."

"You guys invented a homing round?" A grin tugged at the corner of her muzzle. "And it works?"

"Actually, it works really well," said Sly. He offered her a semi-nervous chuckle. "Do you like it?"

Carmelita lifted the weapon, gazing down the sights. It was evenly balanced and had a wonderful feel to it. "You guys had a professional gun maker do the final touches and configuration?"

Sly knew very little about weapons. He ran his fingers through his headfur and shrugged somewhat. "Heckler and Koch personally took the weapon off our paws and made it a precision instrument. But yeah, you won't miss."

Carmelita, instantly wooed by such a thoughtful gift, approached the raccoon. She transferred the gun to her left paw, cupped her right paw beneath his muzzle and turned his head to face her. "A woman likes a man who can anticipate her needs." She tightened her grip on his jaw-line then drew him into a firm kiss. Sly's cocky arrogance returned and he placed his palms against her waist.

Carmelita released his jaw and let herself melt into the kiss for a moment then broke the lip-lock and stepped back a bit. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said, nodding her head downwards.

Sly lowered his gaze; his eyes widened, seeing the jewel-covered handcuffs on his wrists. He looked back up at her and his eyes widened more, staring down the barrel of her new weapon.

"I'll give you a ten second head start, then it's time to test this baby in action. I can't wait to use it… Ten. Nine… Eight…"

Cooper cleared his throat but she continued to count. He looked down at his bound paws then broke into a sprint and dove through the window.

Carmelita watched him go, casually checking the battery chamber. "Four. Three… _two_… _ONE_…" She walked to the window, placed her left paw to her mouth and shouted, "Ready or not… here I come, Lover boy!"

-Kit Karamak

* * *

A/N:_ Sometimes, men like to be pursued, too. I think Carmelita is going to have fun playing 'hide and seek' with her new gift. I bet Sly never saw that coming, though! Woops…! _

_Thanks for reading the second Valentine's Day installment! I got it submitted JUST IN TIME – I had to work all day and, for the better-half of my morning, I couldn't think of what I wanted to write… I was in a funk, I've not had a Valentine's Day date in ages. Maybe I'll get lucky one day and the right girl will want to chase ME! One can hope! _


	3. 2009

CHAPTER -3-  
February 14th 2009  
Calcutta, India

**The wind toyed with her dark ringlets**, but she remained stoic. Inspector Fox knelt behind a row of bushes by the front door of a large house. She glanced over her shoulder at the unmarked police car by the curb across the street. The wily vixen drew a clip from her hair and pushed it into the lock then slid a bobby pin in and turned it slowly until the tumbler popped open.

She stood up from the bushes and pulled a makeup compact from her pocket. Popping it open with a thumb claw, she blew across the makeup pad, causing a puff of dust to waft over a number panel built into the doorframe. She closed and replaced the compact in her pocket then used the laser pointer of her newest shock pistol to illuminate the numeral digits of the keypad. Only three digits had makeup dust collected on them – the three, the six and the seven keys.

A paw dipped back into her pocket, opposite of the compact. She unfolded a piece of paper with a collection of information printed on it. "March Third, 1976." She shook her head and muttered, "You're an idiot for using your birthday you fool." Using a knuckle, she entered the 'three' key twice then 'seven' and, finally, 'six'. The four-digit combination code caused a secondary electronic tumbler to slide out of the door with a soft metallic noise.

The Inspector wrapped her paw around the elegant brass door handle and opened it, pushing her pistol in through the opening. The grand hall of the manor was abandoned. She stepped through, leaving the door ajar and paused. Her ears perked, hearing a soft thud from upstairs. Dashing up the stairs in the main foyer, she hurried along the loft hallway and opened a door.

It led into a decorative adjoining hallway. At the end, there was a door left wide open. She hurried through the carpeted corridor and lifted her gun, then pivoted and put her body flush against the wall, just outside of the door. She could hear noise from inside the room. The man who was known to have stolen from the Louvre, she suspected.

With her back against the wall, Carmelita Fox glanced over her shoulder, peering around the corner and into the large home-office of her target. She could hear the sounds of an ensuing scuffle coming from in the large room but whoever was inside remained just beyond her field of vision.

She reached into her pocket and withdrew a printout of the Red Notice issued by the ICPO office in Lyon. An image of a man was on the page. The word 'Theft" was on the page but that word, alone, wasn't harsh enough to describe the criminal.

By the book, Carmelita waited just outside of the door, listening to the sounds of combat. With the shock pistol in her right paw, she drew it up vertically until the top of the weapon brushed against her nose. She breathed against the polished weapon, drawing comfort in its weight, its feel and its smell. Without backup, her best option was to wait a few moments until whoever was in that room became tired. The sound of clattering chairs and furniture scraping along the floor was punctuated by occasional thumps against the wall. Grunts and growls filtered through the doorway – she identified two distinctive tones thusfar leaving her to conclude that she wasn't overly outnumbered.

"You've become _quite_ the annoyance!" The statement belonged to her target. She identified it in an instant, mentally placing the sound of his voice to the picture on the page tightly held between her left thumb and forefinger. She folded it and slid the paper back into her pocket, cupping the bottom of the gun handle, cradling the bottom of her right paw in her left palm. It was nearly show time.

"Give it up," retorted a masculine voice. Her eyes widened. The musical sort of tone rang out in her ears like a song from her past. The other man continued to speak. "You have a lot of nerve stealing that piece from the Louvre. Bold, I'll give you that… but that piece deserves to be in a museum." It was the voice of Sly Cooper.

"You can't stop me! I know you just want it for yourself and you'll only get it over my dead body!"

Sly replied, "Oh, I think I'll have to convince you otherwise! I have no need for that piece – it deserves to be on display. Stealing it doesn't make you cultured; it makes you an idiot. You, of all people, should know that my gang only comes after other thieves. And after I hand deliver you to the cops, I'll put that artifact right back on its display pedestal. I'll also have you know, I only stole the Firestone of India, back in 1997, in order to keep _you_ from getting your paws on it. I have to thank you for trying, though… If I didn't set up that heist to keep it from you, I would have never met the girl I love."

"You're an idiot, now _die_!" More slamming and scraping noises filled the area. A moment later, a resounding, "OOF!" was bellowed from the criminal, followed by the sound of glass shattering and a hollow thump against the floor.

Sly spoke again. "Don't worry, I doubt defenestration will hurt you _too_ much. After all, you have those fancy hedges, down below…" Carmelita peered in through the doorway, staying out of sight. She watched as Cooper forced the man up onto his knees, paws behind his back. To her surprise, Sly drew out a pair of handcuffs and forced them onto the man's wrists. He linked his cane hook into the handcuff chain, pivoted hard, and slung the defeated thief's body over his head and out through the window. "Bon voyage!" he shouted victoriously. "Enjoy the slammer, pal!" The raccoon twirled his cane then flipped it over his shoulder and slid it down into the back of his belt. He dusted his paws together and nodded decisively. "Good riddance to _bad_ criminals. Now to get back to Paris in time to celebrate Valentines Day with…"

Carmelita walked into the room and coughed into her left fist, while returning her shock pistol to the holster on her right hip. The startled raccoon pivoted on his heel, making eye contact with her and exclaimed, "…Carmelita!"

"On a first name basis, are we now, Sly?" She sauntered across the office, kicking an overturned wooden chair out of her way. With every step, she shifted her hips sharply from the left to the right and back again.

"You weren't supposed to be here for another ten minutes!"

"No matter," she replied. The vixen walked right up to him and placed her left index finger beneath his chin, rubbing her claw gently into the fur of his jaw. "Watching you place him into custody and treat him like the criminal he is… that's _really_, really _hot_, Sly. Cuffing him and throwing him through the window was the icing on the cake."

"Oh, I uh… you, uh, liked that huh?" He offered an awkward smile. For some reason, her appearance threw him off balance. He wasn't supposed to see her for Valentines Day until he could get back to Paris, clean up and get dressed in something nice.

"Look at you," she said in a hushed voice, her breath warm against his muzzle from the proximity of her face to his. "A little sweat on your brow, your hair tousled. You really worked hard to bring him to justice – I can really respect that."

"Carmelita, I…"

She drew her fingernail away from the bottom side of his chin and placed the padded tip of her index against his lips to hush him. "Shh, don't ruin the moment. You did good for once." She gazed into his eyes and a smile broadened across her maw. She moved her paw to the side, cupping his face then suddenly kissed him firmly. As she had planned, the kiss caught him off guard and surprised him. He was too shocked to respond. Her other paw lifted, clutching at the collar of his shirt, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Her tongue slid forward, between his lips until she could feel his own pink tongue against hers.

Cooper's tail fluffed up. The kiss was so good and passionate that his toes curled and his body went rigid from the sudden flow of blood – his heart pounded wildly in his chest. The kiss was better than the one he'd given her in Russia, twelve years ago after defeating Clockwerk for the first time… Not only was it better, he found himself in a state of shock because _she_ was the one kissing _him_.

She drew her tongue back from his mouth but didn't break the lip-lock. Instead, she spoke against his soft lips in a muffled, breathy tone. "Watching you uphold the law made me _really_ hot, Sly." Then, before he could reply to her, she pushed him up against the wall besides the broken window, and closed her teeth over his bottom lip, suckling on it softly.

She loosened her clinched hold upon his shirt and ran her paw down over his chest slowly. Her velveteen-padded fingertips grazed over the sculpted, athletically toned torso of the master thief. Exploring his body, his fantastic physique, was nothing less than riveting. She traced the line over his tummy and the delicious six-pack abdomen then lifted her paw again. Once more, she grazed her fingers down, from his pectorals down to his obliques. She had him wrapped around her finger, now.

He was at a loss of words and she knew it. Carmelita broke the kiss and drew her head back, offering him a sexy coquettish look. The devious smile upon her muzzle said everything he wanted to hear from her without uttering a single word. She brought a paw to the side of his face and patted his fuzzy cheek, brushing back his whiskers. "Remember the times you've left me hanging in the past? A kiss or a flirty look or a wink… then you'd run off and leave me with my head spinning? You're not running off this time, Sly. It's just us, Ringtail and you're all mine." Her voice was silky smooth and her tantalizing perfume was a finely blended mixture of Estrus and a fine Paris aroma.

Sly licked his lips in anticipation then nodded to her question. His eyes held a longing gaze of desire, giving her his undivided attention. "Calcutta… You know, this is where we met, twelve years ago… That makes this place special for us, don't you think?"

"Hold on; stay right here while I slip into something a little more… comfortable." She lifted her paw, finger in the air, and then touched the tip of his nose and smiled. "Don't go anywhere, loverboy." She backed away from him slowly, eyes lowering then lifting, as if raking her gaze over his body in an appraising way. She brought her paw to her lips, teasingly blew him a kiss then disappeared through the door. "If ever you had the urge to run away, this _isn't_ the time for it."

He watched her walk down the hall. Her hips shifted with every step, causing his eyes to dance as if mesmerized by a distant tennis match. Her tail lifted, waving to the left then right, swirling the tip about in a figure eight pattern. Again, Cooper licked his lips. He then licked his paw and fluffed his bangs a bit. Afterwards, he drew out his communicator and said, "Bentley, I'm going to be running a few minutes late – the job was successful, though. I'll explain what's going on later, when I get back to the safe-house. For now, stand by until further notice." He deactivated the small digital contraption and put it into his pocket.

Minutes passed, leaving Sly to wonder. He finally turned back to the window to make sure the man was still down in the bushes. His eyes widened, noting that the other criminal was gone. He lifted his gaze further then blinked upon seeing Carmelita Fox hoisting the man into the back of a police car, singlehandedly. She moved around to the driver side door, looked up at him in the window and blew him another kiss. Then, just as she said, she slipped into something comfortable… the front seat of her car. With but a wink, she drove off, leaving him there in the upstairs office alone, at the window, with his jaw wide open. He blinked again then shook his head, laughing softly.

"Happy Valentines Day to you, too, Inspector Carmelita Fox. You got me good, vixen. I'm impressed." He watched her drive away. Cooper placed his paw at the back of his neck, rubbing with his fingers as if to massage away the awkwardness… "I deserved that…" He paused then added, "This isn't over, yet."

* * *

**A/N**: _I hope everyone enjoyed that. I decided to reverse their roles. If anyone does NOT know what "Estrus" is, or why it was a perfume to Sly, go and Google the term, "Estrus: Definition" lol. Yes, he was probably all keyed up after being teased by her. Clever vixen, huh? _

_Needless to say, I thought it would be FUN to have Carmelita flirt, Sly feel off-center, getting teased while 'At Work', then for HER to run off and leave him pining for more. Why not? After all these years? I mean, if you look at the Newspaper articles in the cut scenes of Sly1, that takes place in 1997. So it's been a LONG TIME that they've known one another. I don't see why she wouldn't feel comfortable enough, after over a decade, to FLIRT with him for a change. _

_So, for all you females out there – go strut your stuff and be sexy. For all you guys, do yourselves a favor and say all the right words today. It means something to a woman to let her know that you love, care desire her without being prompted to do so. Write down on a little piece of paper that you miss her and leave it where you know she'll find it… do something sweet. _

_Happy Valentines Day! See you again for A Cooper Christmas, at the end of the year and again for the update of Sly Cupid a year from today!_

_-Kit_


	4. 2010

This is taken from the love poem on my bedroom wall. I've kept all spelling and punctuation as they originally appeared on this print. I have asked the original author for PERMISSION to post his poetry and have email confirmation from him to post this as a Valentine's Day gift – a public declaration for my feelings – to my Valentine, Dawn LeMay-Sweitzer.

* * *

**Spectrum of Love**

"I love you."

There is a much greater motivation than simply my spoken words.

For me to love, is to commit myself, freely and without reservation. I am sincerely interested in your happiness and wellbeing. Whatever your needs are, I will try to fulfill them and will bend in my values depending on the importance of your need. If you are lonely and need me, I will be there. If in that loneliness you need to talk, I will listen. If you need to listen, I will talk. If you need the strength of human touch, I will touch you. If you need to be held, I will hold you. If you need fulfillment of the flesh, I will give you that also, but only through my love.

* * *

I will try to be constant with you so that you will understand the core of my personality and from that understanding you can gain strength and security that I am acting as me. I may faulter with my moods. I may project, at times, a strangeness that is alien to you which may bewilder or frighten you. There will be times when you question my motives. But because people are never constant and are as changeable as the seasons, I will try to build up within you a faith in my fundamental attitude and show you that my inconsistency is only for the moment and not a lasting part of me. I will show you love now. Each and every day, for each day is a lifetime. Every day we live, we learn more how to love. I will not defer my love nor neglect it, for if I wait until tomorrow, tomorrow never comes. It is like a cloud in the sky, passing by. They always do, you know!

* * *

If I give you kindness and understanding, then I will receive your faith. If I give hate and dishonesty, I will receive your distrust. If I give you fear and am afraid, you will become afraid and fear me. I will give to you what I need to receive.

To what degree (amount) I give love is determined by my own capability. My capability is determined by the environment of my past existence and my understanding of love, truth and God. My understanding is determined by my parents, friends, places I have lived and been. All experiences that have fled into my mind from living.

I will give you as much love as I can. If you will show me how to give more, then I will give more. I can only give as much as you need to receive or allow me to give. If you receive all I can give, then my love is endless and fulfilled. If you receive a portion (part) of my love, then I will give others then balance I am capable of giving. I must give all that I have, being what I am.

* * *

Love is universal. Love is the movement of life. I have loved a boy, a girl, my parents, art, nature. All things in life I find beautiful. No human being or society has the right to condemn any kind of love I feel or my way of expressing it, if I am sincere, sincerity being the honest realization of myself and there is no hurt or pain intentionally involved in my life or any life my life touches.

* * *

I want to become a truly loving spirit. Let my words, if I must speak, become a restoration of your soul. But when speech is silent, does a man project the great depth of his sensitivity. When I touch you, or kiss you, or hold you, I am saying a thousand words.

_by Walter Rinder_

* * *

A/N: _HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I know, for several years now, I've been posting a V-day short-story chapter for Sly and Carmelita from the SLY COOPER game franchise. It's become a tradition. It started with A COOPER CHRISTMAS and I wrote SLY CUPID as a sequel. Then the following Christmas, I wrote a sequel to Sly Cupid by updating a second chapter for A COOPER CHRISTMAS… then I wrote a sequel to that by updating SLY CUPID! Another year and I kept at it. This year… I wanted to do something special for Dawn. She's been with me since around November-December of 2007. We started as friends and developed a romance that has given me wonderful writing fodder for my stories. _

_This Valentine's Day, I wanted to give back to her. I've had SPECTRUM OF LOVE hanging up in my room since I was young. My step father gave it to my mother for their first wedding anniversary and when I was about 14, I took it off the wall and put it in my room because I was inspired by it. I believe I referred to it as "Epic" and… what can I say? That's how I felt! I still feel this way. Dawn has stopped to read it a few times because I keep it adjacent to my doorway. _

_  
Tracking down Walt Rinder wasn't easy. After searching through Google… I finally found him on eBay! He has his own store there and he has copies of his original works ranging from the 1960's onwards. _

_The internet doesn't have a lot of information about Mr. Rinder. Wikipedia says he was born in 1934 and that he was most popular as a poet and writer from the 60's and 70's. He was also known as a photographer. I'm not talking about Ansel Adams, here. I'm talking about a broad range of things that are beautiful in life. _

_Monday morning I received an email reply from Walter Rinder and, believe me, I was stoked. His reply was heartwarming and he gave me his blessing to post this material to express my love and adoration to the person I call significant. _

_I've given Mr. Rinder a link to this site and I PROMISE that next year, the five year anniversary of this story, I will post something special involving Sly Cooper and Carmelita Fox. This year, however, is special in that I wanted to publicly express my love for Dawn. I know I never really talk about her beyond a sentence or two in my author's notes. I wanted you all to know how wonderful of a person she is. _

_Dawn is 9 years my senior. She's the mother of three wonderful daughters and she's a highly motivated person. Dawn is patient enough to push me through when I drag my feet and she's thoughtful enough to make sure I have something as simple as a birthday card for my stepfather when I've forgotten to buy one. When I'm sick, she brings me balloons. When my oldest son, Richie, has a difficult time with something, she sits down with him, one on one, and she talks to him like a man – with respect, dignity and forwardness. _

_Dawn doesn't beat around the bush and she's honest to her very core. She goes above and beyond to attend my music shows when my band performs. She even showed up to one in Bowie, Maryland, two days after a surgery that had her stitched up from hip to hip. She's my biggest supporter and she's my voice of reason. I call her before making hard decisions because she has common sense and sharp wit. She'll be blunt with me and won't sugar coat things, yet when I'm depressed she'll give me the optimistic side of my situation and help me ponder a way to get myself back on my feet. _

_I appreciate everything Dawn has done for me. I love her and, while I'm snowed in my house this weekend, I really miss her. I can think of no BETTER way to express my feelings than through the words written by Mister Walter Rinder. And, for all you romantics out there… I know that Sly and Carmelita love one another just the same way. Thank you for reading all of this – it's been another fantastic year and I appreciate your support! For everyone who spends their time reading my material… THANK YOU! _


	5. 2011

A/N: _As always, this story is continued from the latest chapter of A COOPER CHRISTMAS. In Chapter 5 of the Christmas short story, we found Carmelita and Sly warming up to one another after two years of good behavior from Sly Cooper. The story ended with Sly taking her out on a date and telling her he wanted to see her more often… Now, two months later… Valentine's Day is upon us again.

* * *

_

Chapter -5-  
February 15th, 2011

**Carmelita opened her eyes** and everything slid into focus. Lying on her right side, she was facing her nightstand and an empty bottle of expensive champagne. Adjacent to it was a candle base but the wax was a frozen puddle of sludge around the basin. It had long burned out.

A paw eased out from the covers to rub at her nose; she felt something crumpled against it and plucked the object away from her snout so she could examine it. A red rose petal. It was starting to wither but the moisture of her nose kept it fairly soft during its overnight tryst with her face.

The vixen drew back a corner of the blankets only to realize she wore nothing. Her ears perked and her eyes returned to the bottle on the nightstand. They widened with realization; she started to roll to the left but couldn't… There was a warm body spooning against her back. She felt his warm paw on her hip and reached for it. Carmelita drew the man's paw up from the blanket and examined the gray fur. A slight grin of remembrance illuminated her facial features and her heart began to race. It all came back, now… every sensational detail. Sly Cooper had stayed the night last night and they drank, frolicked and exchanged "Valentine's Day Cards."

Growing up, Carmelita had always wanted to wait until she was married to exchange her 'V-day Card' with a man. But the splendid champagne helped her to make a different decision when in the heat of the moment. It was too late now to worry about last night's decision. She had to think to the future and ponder the repercussions.

Her slight stirring and the moving of Sly's paw caused him to awaken. He nuzzled his nose against the backside of her neck, causing her to shiver. He spoke softly against the backside of her ear. "Should we start planning today or wait until a day we aren't going to be hung-over?"

She contemplated his meaning but couldn't quite figure it out. "What were we planning again?"

"Last night before we fell asleep in each other's arms, you were talking about marriage. You said to make the napkins blue and to hire a DJ for the reception but I'm sure there are other arrangements to make."

She barely remembered the conversation. Only bits and pieces floated around in her head. Carmelita blushed. "We talked about marriage and you thought I was serious?"

"Yes." He scooted back so that she could roll over and face him. Once she flipped over onto her left side, the two lovers locked their gaze. Sly smiled and said, "You put your paws on either side of my face, looked right in my eyes and said, '_I'm serious. Marrying you is the only way I can ensure you're stealing days are over. I'm tired of you stealing my heart. It would make more sense if I just gave it to you instead.'_ Then you trailed off into a few words that made no sense. After that, you rolled over and I put my arms around you. You said you wanted blue napkins and that we should avoid hiring a band for the reception because a DJ is easier to deal with… then you fell asleep."

She stared at him for a moment, licked her lips in a somewhat apprehensive way then she lifted her paw up and plucked a rose petal from his forehead. "What's up with the flower petals?"

"Forgot that, too, huh?" Sly's smile broadened. "You had a few glasses before the clothes came off. You said you wanted your first time to be perfect, like a fairy tale. So I went out and came back with your list."

Carmelita drew her lower lip between her teeth for a moment then whispered, "I had a list?"

Sly rolled away from her, snatched the list from atop the alarm clock on his side of her bed then he gave it to her. Inspector Fox took a moment to read the contents and cringed. It was her writing but some of the loops were shaky. She could tell she must have been drunk when she wrote it.

"Rose petals," she murmured aloud, reading the first item on the list. "A bucket of them," she added, reading the smaller print adjacent to the main listed item. Next she read, "Fuzzy handcuffs for Sly," followed by, "More Champagne, naughty dice with suggestive ideas on them, bottles of water for the hangover, body massage oils," she trailed off and bit her lip again. "I can't read the rest. I can't believe we actually…"

Sly tilted his head. "Four times."

Her eyes widened again. "W…was I obnoxious or anything?"

"A bit on the loud side," he replied earnestly. "But I certainly didn't mind."

"I was loud?"

"Not at first. I honestly felt bad at first because you looked like you were in pain but… I suppose that passed. I'm really sorry; I didn't think you'd regret it, especially since it was your idea. I just…"

"No, wait." She put her paws on either side of his face, gently cupping his cheeks. "Okay, so maybe it wasn't on my wedding day like I _should_ have done. Maybe it wasn't with my husband. Maybe it wasn't like a fairytale but… I don't regret it. And once I wake up, my head will clear and I'll remember everything just fine. I'm always like this the first few hours of the day if I drink in excess. Just… tell me one thing? How was it for you?"

Sly lifted his paws and took hers into his palms. "Carmelita," he said, almost coming nose to nose with her. "I'll never forget last night. So long as I live, it will be the most amazing night of my life. I don't regret a second of anything that happened. How is your stomach?"

She blinked at the way he changed the subject. "W…my stomach?"

"You handcuffed my wrist to yours and swallowed the key. It was kinda' macho." A grin tugged at the corner of Sly's maw. "Obviously I managed to get both of us out of them without the key, while drunk. It was starting to leave a mark on your wrist so… I picked the lock with one of your bobby pins, afterwards."

Her ears perked and she grinned. "I remember. I bet you a fourth round that you were too tired and drunk to pick a lock, especially since a hair pin makes for a very crappy lock pick."

"And I won that bet," he said with a smile. "Happy Valentine's Day, Carmelita. It's one I'll never forget. Thank you for letting me stay the night."

She paused for a moment, remembering some of the details from after their fourth and final 'round'. "I think I told you that you weren't allowed to leave."

"Yeah, it was a dare. You said you bet I couldn't stay without shackles to keep me put. You said you knew you'd wake up to an empty bed. Well, here I am. At least if I _have_ to have a 'ball and chain', I have the best looking one in France."

"I insist that you do," she told him with a slight grin. Most women hated that term but in consideration that she was a law officer and he was a criminal, the term was comically cute for their situation. "You're going to be cuffed to me for the rest of your life at this point. There's no turning back now." Her grin broadened. "I've got your 'V-Day Card' and you're _never_ getting it back."

"Prison life won't be so bad," he said, using the term as a metaphor for marriage. "I get free TV, a roof over my head, a bed…"

"Three square meals," she told him as if to imply she'd actually try to act like a housewife if necessary. "But you'll have to shower with your cellmate. You okay with that?"

Sly put his paws on her hip and pulled her close until they were flush together at the center of the bed. "I happen to think my cellmate is quite attractive. I think I can manage to live by the terms of my sentence." He brushed his nose against hers again. "What do I get for my good behavior?"

Carmelita broke into silvery peels of laughter. "Good behavior? How was anything about last night good? You've been a naughty man, Sly Cooper."

"But I didn't run this time."

She drew her head back and eyed him. In a slow, drawn out way, she said, "That… that _is_ true. You did stay like a good boy. I admit, I'm impressed that you did." She kissed him softly.

"Valentine's Day doesn't have to be all the way over just yet," Sly said in muffled tones against her lips. "Heck, we can have Valentine's Day every day if you want."

Carmelita tilted her head and eyed him with her right eye for a moment. She lifted a paw, poked him in the nose playfully then began to wiggle down beneath the blankets, disappearing beneath them.

Sly watched the lump lower, moving further down the bed… then his eyes widened and he shuttered. The fur fluffed up on the back of his neck, teeth clamped together and he exhaled through them only to gasp immediately afterwards. Yes, today was going to be just as good of a day as the night before. After all, he recalled that she had the day off work. He reached for her pillow, pulled it over his face then groaned into it. This was better than coffee yet it had the similar effect of making his heart race.

* * *

A/N: _Okay, so I had to bump up the rating to 'T' for teen. Ah well. It only took FIVE YEARS of Valentine's Day short stories for our heroes to have a romantic night together, right? I know quite a few of you are like, "FINALLY!" _

_Sorry I made it short. I may make this chapter much longer when I update it to "KitKaramakDOTsofurryDOTcom." It'll be called, "Holiday short series" or something similar. I'm going to put both stories together in chronological order as one large chapter. This will be the grand finale. And it will NOT be safe for children to read. _

_Thanks again for reading my material! I APPRECIATE IT! You guys mean SO MUCH to me! I love all of you, I really do. _


	6. 2012

Sly Cupid 2012

Cane Island Cabin by the Sea,  
Monday 20th of February, 2012

**Sly Cooper opened his eyes** and glanced over at the vixen adjacent to him. Sound asleep, she appeared peaceful with the swell of her breast rising and falling with each soft breath. He placed a paw upon her hip then moved it to her belly, the slight bulge of tightness that could be felt beneath her belly button – it caused him to smile.

"This is still the best Christmas present ever," he murmured but his wife remained unresponsive save for her deep breathing. "This has been the best Valentine's Day ever, too. I'm glad you kept your promise and married me. And I'm sorry this pregnancy has been hard on you, especially in the mornings. I'm just so full of words that I can never seem to say when you're awake, you know? I always wondered, if these walls could talk – would they turn you on with all the things I've said to you while you're lying next to me." He smiled, watching her sleep.

"I was surprised your mother was part Maned Wolf; it was interesting to see your father all dressed up for the wedding. I honestly didn't think he would show at first. It was nice to see him walk you down the aisle with you looking somewhat coy – I'm sorry I robbed you of the right to wear the white veil, though."

Carmelita started to roll onto her side but Sly placed a firm paw on her side. "Oh no you don't. Ever since becoming pregnant, you snore when lying on your side. Besides, you sometimes toss and turn when you're on your side." He grew quiet, watching her. She settled and the deep breathing resumed. "I didn't wake you did I?" To his question, she offered no response. He smiled. "Good." Sly's paw moved beneath the blanket, exploring the vixen's curvaceous hips, down to her thighs. "This three-day no-clothes rule is awfully funny. I know you only hid all the clothes so that I wouldn't leave you in the middle of the night, but what if you suddenly have a strange craving?" He paused momentarily then added, "Okay, I know… there's no ice cream on this island, save what's in the freezer but, you know, I'm just saying."

The vixen offered nothing more than soft breathing. A grin tugged at the corner of his muzzle. "It's been a long road for us. I kinda' wish I had that ability to give nice speeches so I could have said something intelligent at our wedding last week. But the truth is, I love you. I've loved you for a long time. When I saved you from Clockwerk's gas chamber back in Russia, all those years ago, I did it because I really liked you. When we fought Clock-La in that chopper together, I knew we made a great team. And by that point, I knew you were a great dancer and you were even running from the law with us at one point. People wouldn't even believe what we've been through together. Climbing up your side, when you had the Mask of Dark Earth… rescuing you from The Contessa, having you rescue me from Doctor M., everything that happened leading up to this point was another step we took together to becoming the team that we are today. Not many guys can say they won over their lady's heart by keeping two steps ahead of her at the receiving end of her gun sights. Still kinda' hot if you think about it, though."

Sly sifted his fingers through the soft pelt of fur, back up her thigh, over her hip and across the small bulge of the baby-bump on her belly. "And now we have _this_ together." He drew back the blanket and kissed her tummy. Carmelita remained unresponsive. A Cheshire smile crossed the raccoon's maw. "Y'know, you're so vulnerable when you sleep. That's hot, too. Anyway… I also wanted to thank you for letting me and the boys out on the thirteenth for one last heist. I know you'd rather us spend our bachelor party doing something _other_ than talking to strippers but I still appreciate how much you love me – enough to let me have one last romp with the cane. You're far more understanding than most people realize, since you put up that make-believe 'abrasive personality' shield… but I know better. And who you _really_ are is one of the main reasons why I love and adore you so much."

He eased up onto an elbow and looked over her body. The soft lighting, the moonlight filtering in through the skylight above and the ambiance of the ocean waves lapping at the shore was calming. His paw trailed further up, over her bosom and paused to feel her heart beating. "Bentley would make some fancy comment about the 'susurration of the water', outside. Murray would comment about how the moon beam makes you glow like an angel. I suppose I'm somewhere between those two… not too complicated, yet not too simple… I hope I make you happy."

The raccoon took a deep breath, his eyes still raking over the body of his wife, Carmelita Montoya Cooper. "I wish it was easier for me to talk to you like this in person instead of trying to make a joke out of everything. I'm a romantic, yet when I look in your eyes, I get so lost I can't say anything fancy. I can't do much more than flirt with you. Yet flirting with you feels natural, too. Yet here you are, right next to me, sleeping… and I have no problems opening up and saying everything you've ever wanted to hear."

Cooper glanced up at the walls again and sighed. "If these walls could talk, would they tell you all the things I've said while you were fast asleep, lying next to me? Would they play like a memory, every night you stay up waiting, just to fall asleep, lying next to me…?" He offered a breathy sigh through his nose and continued, "And it would start with a whisper in the dark, shapes and shadows fall apart; anything just to break this, but I can't bring myself to say it." Again, his finger trailed over her body. "Now I'm wide awake, and my eyes are open, watching as you fade away – do you know that I'd give anything to be the only one you're dreaming of…" He swallowed softly then moved his palm to her chest again and spoke in the relaxed cadence of her rhythmic heartbeat. "How do I stop these thoughts from racing around, a million miles in all directions… how do I make my heart stop beating long enough to hit the ground and when the sunlight hits your face, hot enough, I watch you wake up from the dream… lying next to me. When you close your eyes, I hope you're listening." He licked his lips, adding, "If these walls come down, we'll burn them to the ground and spread the ashes out and listen to the sound… and I'll stare into the flames, whispering your name, remembering the day I saw you for the first time. If these walls could talk would they tell you all the things I've said while you were fast asleep, lying next to me?"

He'd heard the tune in his head for a few days now and it made him think about these past few nights where he stayed up just to watch her sleep. His mate. His partner in crime. His _wife_. And, now, the mother of his children. His heart raced at the thought of it. "You know, you'll make the most amazing mother ever. If you show them even a fraction of the patience you've shown me, they'll be the happiest children around. I'm sure, one day, I'll be able to say something like this to you while you're awake… I promise, I'll get there. I know I'm usually immature, flirty and childish most of the time but… deep down, I hope you know I mean well. Now that I'm your husband, I promise I'll be the best father I can be for our children.

"I just want you to know this has been the most amazing Valentine's Day ever and I'll never forget it." Still, she said nothing. Sly smiled; he was glad he'd been able to get all of this off of his chest. He eased his head down, nuzzling the side of her face. He closed his eyes and sighed in content. "You're my greatest prize catch. If I had to do it all over again, I'd surrender to you in a heartbeat. You caught me fair and square – you win." He drew in a slow deep breath, followed by a second, then a third.

Carmelita opened one eye, peered over at him then smiled deviously to herself. The satisfied vixen closed her eye again and relaxed back into slumber. He was right… Valentine's Day was amazing. The Honeymoon had been amazing. Other than still dealing with morning sickness, every day has been a little more memorable than the last. Her husband had flown in every last family member, first class, and all of his friends looked half-way respectable in tuxedos. Everyone had behaved themselves and the ceremony was memorable. The memories rushed through her mind as her body continued to relax back into slumber again.

She remembered the bouquet of flowers landing on Penelope's head, between the mouse's large ears. She remembered the girl exclaim, '_Aww, c'mon! I wasn't even PLAYING! Not fair!'_ and the delighted look on Bentley's face. Carmelita remembered Sly pulling her garter belt off her orange-furred leg with his teeth and how it landed in the punch bowel because of the breeze coming in, off the beach. Everything had been _perfect_ to the point where it seemed like a fairytale. She brought her left paw up and placed it on her husband's left paw. He lay on his right hip, his left paw on her body, and smiled at the feeling of her wedding band brushing against his.

Sly offered no response, save for slow deep breathing. "You'll make a good father, I know it. You've already been a good husband this past week, making sure I had everything I needed to be comfortable through this pregnancy. I appreciate everything you've done lately, Sly. I love you and I'll never let you go. You're _my_ prize catch, Ringtail." Her reply was a soft whisper and, again, Sly didn't reply. "Mm, well, since you're asleep… I'll let you in on a little secret: You were my most worthy case – one of the reasons I married you is because I couldn't catch you any other way." She rolled onto her side, pressing her backside into his chest with a satisfied smile. It felt so natural to spoon with her husband. He was so warm against her body. She drew in a slow breath, smiled and sighed, facing away from him.

Carmelita could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck and it was nice. Her voice lowered further and she grumbled, "And I do _not_ snore." Unseen by the vixen, Sly silently smiled against the nape of her neck.

x-

* * *

A/N: _Thank you guys for following these two holiday stories for all these years. I really appreciate it! I really love you guys to death. I've been really busy with moving to Florida this past week and I'm sorry I missed Valentine's Day. Some of you follow me on FaceBook (search for Kit Karamak!) and so you know that my new band, GET OUT DRIVER, has been working with Damien Starkey of Burn Season and Puddle of Mudd… He usually does musical licensing for TV shows, movies, and stuff like ESPN… but he really believes in this band and so he's been helping to produce and record us. I hope you guys will get on facebook, find Get Out Driver and listen to our music. We actually uploaded our first recording ON Valentine's Day! It's been a huge rush to be a part of a band that actually has a realistic chance of getting a record deal. _

_But don't worry, I'll continue to write. Once my stories on FFnet are finished, I'll start working on original work then I'll shop it to a publishing house / agent… I'll be writing for as long as I live. I'll be playing music almost as long. Your support has been the biggest driving factor for me to reach for the stars. So, again, I love you guys and I appreciate your continued support of my art (music and writing)! _

_-Ken Weaver  
aka  
Kit Karamak  
_


	7. 2013

2013

**Sly Cooper looked up** from the phone then said, "Alright, thank you." He hung it up then brought his right paw back to the baby snuggled into his left arm. He held the child like a football, their head supported against his bicep. He used his right hand to stabilize the bottle in the baby's muzzle. "Okay," he said to his wife across the room. "I canceled the dinner reservations. Some Valentine's Day, huh?"

Carmelita looked up, tired from a day's worth of work. "Being parents and working a full time job isn't easy. As much as I wanted to go to dinner tonight… it's hard to balance it all. Who knew this stuff would be so hard? You're not mad are you?"

"Carmelita, he has a fever, and you've got the flu. It only makes sense to cancel the reservation."

She offered him a lame grin. "To a _man_ it's the flu. An illness that causes the male of the species to be helpless and sicker than any other family member. In females it's called _a cold_. I'll be fine. I'm more worried about the baby still having a fever. Still… I'm sorry you had to cancel dinner."

"I'm impressed you still went to work today," he said with a grin. "What about that guy who brought the flu to the office?"

"Oh, he called out again today," she said with a roll of her eyes. "He said he was still sick, then he said he had some personal problems."

Sly scratched his forehead. His left ear flickered listlessly then he asked, "What'd you tell him?"

She thought about how she'd worded her reply from earlier then said, "Something to the effect of, '_The Pitty Train has just derailed at the corner of Suck It Up and Move On, and crashed into We Al Have Problems, before coming to a stop at Get The Hell Over It._' He said he just needs this next few days to recover and will be back on Monday. I reminded him that today is Thursday. Ugh. Anyhow. So… it's Valentine's Day. Now what do we do? We've always had some way of celebrating it but now we're parents and I'm probably too sick to go out into public, lest I get others sick."

"I can always take care of you and wait on you hand and foot. Of course, the baby is sleeping this thing off like a champ."

"That's probably from the antihistamine in the medicine that came from the doctor," she mused. "So. We exchanged cards over breakfast this morning, and there's no dinner. All part of growing up. So now what do we do?"

Sly chuckled. "Uhm. We could always go to bed. Together, obviously. A night of simple spooning. Still works for me." He carried their infant child across the room and added, "I'll get the kiddo to bed. Then… how about _you_ call out tomorrow?"

Carmelita laughed. "Twist my arm and I'll think about it."

"There might be breakfast in bed if ya' do."

Again, she couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah? What else? Tomorrow won't be Valentine's Day. Tomorrow is just another Friday."

"Yeah. Go figure you worked late today. But! Tomorrow could be a sick day. And I'm down to make tomorrow our Valentine's Day. Bottle of wine for lunch. Then I can bring you dinner home, too. We can sit home and watch your favorite crime dramas."

"You know. I'd like that. I still wish they'd have an Interpol crime drama. I mean, with a good writing staff, they can make anything good. Forensics, United States Naval Criminal Investigations, hell even MI5 got a show. I could write a great Interpol show."

"Oh yeah?" Sly laughed, pacing with the baby. "What would it be about?"

"Chasing a rich thief. By the sixth season, the main character will seduce the thief, make him fall in love with her, and give up his ways. In the end, the lead character still wins. The good guys _always_ win in the end. Which makes you exactly what I called you in season _one_ of our relationship. A loser." She offered a victory smile. "See? I win. I won. I'm still winning."

"What can I say? You're a winner." He grinned and carried the baby into the nursery. When he came back out, Sly approached his wife then picked her up into his arms and carried her back to the master bedroom. "Okay. I'll tuck you in. I'll make you something to eat, then we can watch crime dramas on NetFlix until you fall asleep. And finish them tomorrow. I'll get the baby tomorrow and you just sleep in and get your rest."

"I'll need it," she mused.

"Yeah, then you'll have had a three day weekend. Wait… need it for what?"

Carmelita grinned and kissed his forehead. "For next week when _you_ come down with this mess. Because we all know that I'll have to take care of your sorry tail while balancing a real job _and_ the baby. It's a known fact that men are babies when they get sick. So yes, I'll need my rest this weekend since I won't get any this upcoming weekend. But yes, I most certainly welcome being pampered tonight and tomorrow. I'm certainly satisfied with being taken care of while I'm sick – I accept that for a Valentine's Day gift."

Sly laughed and carried her into the bedroom and moved her over to near where the light switch was on the wall. "Go ahead and hit the lights for me."

She reached up and flipped the lights on. Sly turned her away from the wall. She looked around the room and blinked, seeing the roses that lined the walls. "Oh my dear God. How'd you get these in the house without me seeing?!"

Cooper grinned. "I can still put my sneakiness to good use without breaking the law." He kissed her face then laid her down in bed and went to the closet. He got her a nightgown and brought it to her. "You're off your feet for the rest of the night with plenty of sleep as needed." He reached for a remote control and turned on the bedroom television then their Playstation-3, and brought up Netflix on the console. "Start streaming what we're watching tonight and I'll go make some dinner and bring it in."

She reached for him and kissed his nose. "Thank you."

Sly, knowing she was sick, pressed his lips to hers. "I love you. You're my wife. That's what matters." He smiled then made his way out of the bedroom and to the kitchen.

X

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A/N: THANK YOU for reading, as always! I'm sorry I didn't have something longer this year but I've been TOTALLY engrossed in my NEW ORIGINAL NOVEL. I'm already on the THIRD BOOK. Did you want to read the draft before it gets published? It's on FanFiction dot net's sister site, FictionPress dot com. (First story is here: wwwDOTfictionpressDOTcom/s/3024180/) …Of course, on that site, I also use the pen name, 'Kit-Karamak,' spelled with a hyphen just like this one. Yeah. The first two stories are already finished and posted, and I've got the first chapter of the third story posted as well!

I bring in original character fan favorites like Karla and Donovan from Dawn of Progeny! And in the third story, I bring in more fan favorites like Conner and Carmen and Kalen. I also have anthropomorphic characters like a kitsune named Sinopa in chapter 2 of book 1, and a werewolf in chapter 8 of the first book. They eventually become reoccurring characters that have main roles in some chapters. Please check out my chapters before they become published and they're no longer offered for free. I hope you'll like them and will enjoy them as much as I enjoy writing them!

My profile page there is… wwwDOTfictionpressDOTcomFORW ARDSLASHuFORWARDSLASH543072F ORWARDSLASH ( wwwDOTfictionpressDOTcom/u/543072/) And don't forget that 'u' between the two forward slashes, lol.

So yeah, for those of you who have been wondering, "Where in this world has Ken been?!" Now you know. I'm working on getting this new trilogy published! Also, you can find me and LIKE me on Facebook! wwwDOTfacebookDOTcomFORWARDS LASHkitkaramak (wwwDOTfacebookDOTcom/kitkaramak) super easy! And I post there almost EVERY day! Latest chapter updates, pictures, news… I've just surpassed two hundred fans. Come and join the party! I love you guys! I hope to see you there! I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day. Whether you're sick like Carmelita, or feeling great like Sly. Just remember… that's what it's like being a parent. Sometimes you gotta break your plans and put family first, even when having planned things that you were looking forward to. But so long as you do things together, any day can be a good day to be close. In sickness and in health.

Thanks for reading!

-K


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